The power of #2

Part One: An ayurvedic approach to food that will transform your health

Do you want to feel healthier but don’t know where to start?
Are you short of time, and seeking a simple solution?
Would it help if you were given the shopping list and structure to meal plan?
If so this approach might just be for you……

---

Many of you have suggested I write a cookbook and it’s just been a matter of time and focus. Substack feels like a good place to start, where I can write 2 recipes at a time, to send you every two weeks, creating my cookbook little by little….. The Power of #2

Why 2? Why not! And because, it’s how I structure my meal planning to make life easy, time effective, with minimal waste for a balanced, wholesome diet, with two meals from one, twice a day, using two vegetables with one grain, eating well for natural health.

So this is the beginning of cooking together, and an introduction to Ayurveda, the ‘what and how’, with guidelines, and the basic ingredients you need, that will help you build upon with time and on budget, without overstocking, as we move season by season.

---

WHY I LOVE AYURVEDA

I've always felt the connection between what I eat and how I feel, and until I discovered Ayurveda I had not found a system that worked or supported me. I tried the blood group diet, a vegetarian diet, the paleo diet… lots to be honest. But it was only when I understood what food to eat to improve my digestion, did my food intolerances improve and I began to feel well and remain a constant weight.

My guests often comment on the same surprise and relief from their digestive issues and long-term physical or emotional complaints from eating Ayurvedic food. They then wish to know how they can continue to feel this way that will fit easily into their everyday life.

So this is the beginning of regular posts about Ayurvedic food, a holistic approach to natural healing for your mind and body. I am going to start with the basics; offering a structure and a shopping list for a 'one size fits all' so that all future recipes I will send, can be easily understood, made, and integrated into this format, to help you manage your health with ease.

---

WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurveda is the science of natural healing, that in a nutshell, considers the digestive fire and mind as the cause of dis-ease. Balance is the key to wellness through diet, herbal medicine, and massage.

It regards the digestive fire to be governed by the seasons and four elements; Air, Earth, Fire & Water, that balance hot with cold and dry with wet. Each person’s health is considered with different strengths of digestive fire, that if for example were the Fire element, and out of balance due to a diet creating heat in your body, then you may be prone to certain ailments such as inflammation, skin issues, arthritis, hot flushes, irritability, or ulcers. To reverse and rebalance the advice would be to eat ‘cooling’ foods. Ayurveda’s solutions rebalance both food and lifestyle choices to support ‘You being You’, so you can live and work at your optimum.

We look more deeply at the individual approach to health on AN INVITATION TO YOUR LOST COURAGE retreat, which provides an immersive kick-start and includes cooking classes. Yet, it is possible to follow a ‘one for all’ approach which I am writing about on substack

Eating well changes the way you feel in as little as 3 to 10 days, as the digestive system adjusts and whilst this natural solution may not provide all the answers, in my experience it certainly goes a long way to supporting radical health changes just from making a little bit of effort.

In Part Two coming this week…….

• Power of #2 - how the approach works

• A 4-day meal plan & spring recipes

• Starters shopping list

• Guide to Ayurveda: How to optimize your health & energy

---

In the meantime, start your day with Golden Porridge, it’s light and nourishing to give you energy for your whole morning.

BON APPETIT!
See you soon,
Tamsin x

GOLDEN PORRIDGE
Serves 4 (It will keep in the fridge and serves for 2 days)
Soak grains the night before / takes 15 - 20mins to make.

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice

• 1 cup yellow lentils

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

• A pinch of salt and pepper

• 20 Organic dried apricots (brown unsulphated variety have the most caramel-like taste)

• 1 can coconut milk or 250ml plant milk

• 350ml water

PREPARATION

• wash rice and lentils together and soak overnight in 4 cups of water

• Place apricots in boiling water and leave at room temperature overnight

• Place rinsed rice & lentil mix into a pan with coconut/plant milk and water, plus ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins. Check there is sufficient liquid as you may need to add water depending on the level of steam. The consistency should be sloppy.

• If the apricots are not soft, place them in a separate pan with 2 cups of water, bring to the boil, and simmer until soft.

• Turn off the heat, place 2 soup ladles per serving into a breakfast bowl

• top with 5 apricots, a dollop of yogurt, and a teaspoon sprinkle of mixed gomas seeds for additional flavour

GOMAS SEED MIX
I have a jar of this on the go at all times to sprinkle on breakfast, salads, or pasta dishes.

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Pumpkin seeds
1 Cup Sunflower seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp seaweed flakes (not essential but great source of iodine and antioxidant)
1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients into a skillet/frying pan and dry toast the mix until golden and popping! Then leave to cool, crush with a mortar and pestle, and store in a jar in the fridge.